1- Why do athletes give in to doping ?

The objective of this course is to encourage a critical understanding of doping. To achieve this goal, this course will rely on a multidisciplinary approach that allow you to see how different disciplines get into a single object, in different perspectives and in often complementary ways. This approach will also allow us to appreciate the complexity of a subject like doping.
Doping in sports is a complex practice whose definition and identification is the result of socially and historically constructed norms.
This course offers to shed light on the processes that led to the use and prohibition of doping substances. Performance enhancement or physical transformation are two aspects of doping which are seen as problematic, yet even as we speak companies are making fortunes selling body improvement and other forms of “human enhancement” to us. These apparent contradictions will be analysed to show that beyond sanitary questions, doping raises many social, scientific and legal issues.
In efforts to control doping, governments and sports authorities have put into place institutions responsible for defining what falls into the category of doping, but also what prevention, repressions and research methods to put into effect. This course will also explore biological control measures such as the biological passport, key legal dimensions, organisations that produce performance, as well as the sociological dimensions of doping.
Besides the Professors of University of Lausanne, the best experts of doping are involved in this course: experts from an Anti-doping Laboratory (LAD- Lausanne-Switzerland), from the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport), from the UEFA (soccer), and from the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency).
Teaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20Q3eR_g7rU
Main Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course the participants will be able to :
1. Identify the “cultural” dimension of doping, that is as a historical practice linked to the transformation of social norms,
2. Go from a binary way of thinking - for or against doping - to an understanding of the complexity of this phenomenon which is biological, psychological and sociological, all at the same time,
3. Recognize the institutions, the actors and the practices of the fight against doping,
4. Explain how the social and organisational context influences individuals decisions and how this influence can be reduced by effective prevention measures,
5. Identify how the fight against doping is led and how testing is carried out.

审阅

WK

The course was very interesting and an eye opener as to what doping really is. I have learnt a lot.

SG

Jun 03, 2020

Filled StarFilled StarFilled StarFilled StarFilled Star

Very Informative course and as a Sports science researcher I must say this a must to do course.

从本节课中

Module 2- Why do athletes give in to doping?

By going beyond a binary vision that opposes those who cheat and those who don’t, Module 2 will help you understand what might lead ordinary individuals into substance-use. The analysis of the process that lead to doping will be approached through the social and psycho-social factors behind doping, as well as the role of culture and of sports organisations will be raised. This module includes an interview with Denis Hauw, sports psychology expert and Associate Professor at the Institute of Sport Studies at the University of Lausanne.

教学方

Fabien Ohl

脚本

[MUSIC] Welcome to the video, why do athletes give in to doping? Why do athletes give into doping has three objectives. First, to understand that doping cannot simply be considered as a case of individual misconduct due to a lack of ethics. Second, that the explanation linked to social change provide a framework that helps to understand substance use, but that they are not sufficient in explaining why people do it. One must be capable of thinking critically about these structural explanations of doping. Third finally, the goal is to recognize that only by combining disciplines and analyzing the phenomenon on different levels, can we begin to understand why athletes give in to doping. So let's talk about this quote unquote lack of ethics. The essential idea when looking to explain doping is a lack of ethics in athletes, causing them to do something morally reprehensible. But it ceases to be an explanation, when one tries to understand what data means whether or not an individual respects an ethical code. In common sense, it is believed that an absence of ethics Is inconsistent with the values of sport. It is perceived as a deviance that corrupts the very values of sport. But the following four observations contradict this view. First, because Hughes and Coakley's research shows that doping is commensurate with a positive deviance. That is a great deal of conformity to athletic values. Often an athlete is simply trying to remain in a team or in a group and to gain recognition for his or her performances. Second, because athlete's entourage adheres to the idea that competition is a major objective, that requires many sacrifices. Consequently, doping can actually be a response, a way of living up to the high expectations of coaches, parents, or leaders. So most often the idea of being a professional athlete is related to the idea that the body must suffer and that bodily risks must be taken to progress. Always going further in one's efforts, suffering, risking injury, are all part of athletic norms, and doping is simply perceived as a continuation of this disposition to take risks. Fourth, in the small world of sports, information about nutrition, supplements or preparation techniques that are borderline illegal is passed around. Often, the use of illicit substances is perceived as just another one of these techniques. There obviously are some very strong contradictions. If from a legal standpoint, the line between what is legal and what is not is extremely clear. These borders can become very blurring for athletes because of their experience with training. An athlete's entourage and sensationalism can make doping a kind of logical continuation of his or her physical preparation. This means that one can not grasp the ethical issue outside of the environment in which athletes ethics is constructed, because it can lead to a shift in the perception of doping. Consequently, it is necessary to observe the social environment that causes athlete perception of what is a morally reprehensible act or not to shift. A doping friendly environment. When attempting to grasp social change, both Barrioli's book Sport and Society as well as Letizia Paoli and Alessandro Donati's book The Sports Doping Market allow us to identify six structural factors that contribute to creating an environment favorable to doping. First, a culture of excellence that only values victory. One might argue that the decline of amateurism and of disinterest has lead to over-emphasizing victory. Second, the medicalisation of society, in which substances designed to improve physical and intellectual performance have become commonplace. Stimulants for exams, biograph for sexual performance, growth hormone to fight against aging, etc. All these things make it increasingly difficult to see why sport should be any different, free of any doping substances because they are pervasive in the rest of society. Third, a rationalisation of the body and of athletic performance production. In their book Drugs in Sport Ian Wattington and Andy Smith showed that many of the techniques likely to enhance athletic performance are taken from sports medicine. The participation of sports physicians in producing better performances rather than treating injuries is a big problem. The fourth factor can be attributed to the politisation of sports, which, during the Cold War for example, cast upon athletes the mission of defending a political, a national, and or an ideological cause. This role led certain states to encourage athletes to use performance enhancing substances. And gave them a legitimacy, inciting them to go even further into use of pharmacological preparation. The fifth factor is an economical one. The commodification of sports and athletes attracted sponsors and considerably increased the flow of funds into sports. With the professionalization of a number of sports in the 1980s, investments and profits were very important and put a lot of pressure on athletes, who in turn to doping. To top it off, the development of the Internet created easier access to these substances. The sixth factor is linked to increased media coverage that has encouraged an economy of celebrity. So symbol-linked status that is associated with an Olympic medal, for example can be very profitable. But none of these arguments that we have raised is sufficient. For example, it is often believed that the money involved in sports provides an all-encompassing explanation for substance use. But what about doping in amateur sports where hardly any money is involved? And what about bodybuilders that use substances without even taking part in competitions? [FOREIGN] an economist clearly stated, there is no possible assimilation between an athlete and because it is impossible to consider an athlete has a strict maximizer of personal interest outside of any social relationships or institutional context. As convincing as I may be, it is different factors merely form favorable conditions. They are hardly sufficient in explaining doping. They do, however, allow us to understand that it is not only an individual misconduct, but that it is also largely due to other factors. In conclusion, we have shown that the two most common approaches to doping, first to say that it is moral misconduct due to a lack of ethics, and second that it is due to social causes. These two approaches both have their weaknesses. This dichotomy between individual misconduct and social explanation must be overcome to truly understand doping. Why you may ask? Because there is great diversity in doping, a single explanation is therefore not possible. Because individual, contextual and social factors are intertwined. It does not make sense to try to think of individuals outside of their context. So psychological and social dimensions are articulated and this is why. In the second module we proposed to look at doping through a multi-disciplinary approach taking in to account the interactions between individuals and the social environment. One of the ways of doing this is to observe athletes in their environment, which we will do, observing body builders and cyclists. And at the same time, we shall approach doping with a psychological lens. This is what we shall see in the next videos. Thank you for watching. [MUSIC]